Shoe



May 14, 1929. J, R AYERS 1,712,481

SHOE

Filed Dec. l5, 1924 liatented May i4, 1929.

Unirse stares JOHN R. AYEBS, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE.

Application led December 16, 1924. Serial No. 756,205.

This invention relates to shoes and has for its object to provide a-,shoe of pleasing appearance and possessing lomfortable and effective support for the arch of the foot.

lin the accompanying drawings I have shown, merely for illustrative purposes, certain embodiments of my invention wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the inner or scaphoidal side of a shoe embodying my invention; y.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 2--2 ofFig. l.;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inner sole of the shoe; and

Fi 4 is a detail side elevation of the shank and instep portions of a shoe illustrating a modified form of the invention.

It will be understood that the present invention is applicable to substantially any kind or type of shoe whether laced or huttoned, high or low; made of leather, canvas, rubber or any other. appropriate material. Furthermore it is readily applicable to a Goodyear welt, McKay or any other type of shoe although I have chosen to embody itin a canvas or csport shoe socalled and of the Goodyear welt type.

A The shoe illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises an upper l composed of two thicknesses 2 and 3 of cloth cemented together, which thicknesses are stitched, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, between an inner sole 4i and a welt 5 herein by stitches 6 arranged in the usual. manner peculiar to a welt shoe. The welt 5 is, in turn, secured by stitches 7 to an outer sole which latter is, in the present example, made up of two layers 9 and l0. The latter layer is desirablycomposed of crepe rubi er-herein cemented to the layer 9 of relatively stronger material and adapted to support the stitches 7 as well as to maintain the crepe rubber section 10 in proper shape.

'l` he `forward instep edges of both the inner and outer sides of the upper l. are reinforctal by the usual eyeletor fastener strips ll in which are set appropriate fasteners such, for example, as eyelets l2 through which the usual lacing is arranged.`

Shoes of the hindillustrated herein or to which the` present invention is particularly applicable, are generally heelless or perhaps possess a very low heel and the arches thereof have little, if indeed any, support other than the material of the inner and outer soles. rthis lack of support causes, in many instances, a falling of the arch including the tarsal and metatarsal bones of the foot.

To resist such a falling of the arch the shoe of the present invention is primarily constructed so that substantially every part thereof contained in a transverse plane inter` secting the arch and the instep will snugly lit the foot. Preferably this arch fitting feature of the shoe is effected first, by abnormally cutting away the inner side ofthe shank of the inner sole 4 approximately to the median longitudinal line of the soleor herein to the `line substantially intersecting the center of the heel and the center of the big toe of the foot wearing the shoe as shown most clearly at 13 in Fig. 3. rlhat portion of the last employed in the construction of the shoe that lies adjacent to the cut out part of said inner sole is also materially out. away at 13 (Fig. 2). This treatment of the inner sole brings the loweredge of the upper where stitched to the welt or sole at its shank Well over toward the outside edge of said shank.

When an upper is stretched over a last and an. inner sole prepared in accordance with the above, that portion of said upper which cov ers the region of the scaphoid, internal cuneiform and first metatarsal bones, particularly beneath the arch, will obviously he drawn up farther andinore highly archedthan will be a` normal foot of proper size. Therefore7 when suoli a foot is inserted in the shoe and the saine properly laced, that drawn 'up part of said upper will 'tend 'to support the arch of the foot and prevent it from falling. hfloreovcr it will prevent wrinlrling of said upper.

To contribute to the supporting effect produced by said upperl desirably` provide an arch supporting pad 14@ preferably composed of relatively stiif material such as sole leather which is fitted against that portion of the arch adjoining the scaphoid, internal cunei forni and mctatarsal bones of the toot; This reinforcing pad may be and preferably is shived or otherwise tapered to lio smoothly against said upper and is secured along itsI lower margin or edge between said welt i and the inner sole l bythe said stitclies o hereinhefore referred to whereby the upper 3 is secured to the aforesaid members.

The upper edge of the pad 14C is preferably arch-shaped and extends a distance above the welt substantially less than the full height of the shoe upper and thispad is desirably placed eXteriorly of said` upper so as to proshown, be extended substantially the length of the shoe from heel lto toe along the lower ,Y margin of said upper and be secured between the welt andinner sole 4 by the stitches G aforesaid'. v

The upper kedge of the stripV which preferably lies but a Vslight distance above said welt i's'secured by stitches 16 to said upper. Ifdesired this reinforcing strip may be ex` tendedentirely around the shoe or, more correc'tly stated, be carried along both the insideV and voutside'lower marginal portions of the upper. The strip 15 is desirably of substantially uniform width throughout its length exceptin the region of the pad 14 where it is extended upwardly at 17 to a line atleast corresponding with the upper contour of the pad. An additional arch support may be, and herein is, provided by continuing the extension 17 'substantially beyond said pad, in fact, to or in the vicinity of the forward edge 18 of the upper 1 terminating preferably at 19 (see Fig. 2). Obviously the stitches 16 whereby the upper edge of thc reinforcing strip is secured to the upper 1 may be carried along any appropriate path across said strip'or extension but, in the preferred form, IA have extended said line of lstitches 'slightly above the upper Yarched ed ge of the reinforcing pad 14, as shown at 16a, leaving the upper end of said strap free with regard 'to the upper. Desirably in the upper free end of the strap 17 are inserted fasten` ing means similar to those used for lacing or fastening the forward edges of the upper 1 together. Y f

As previously 'stated the means herein employed for fastening up the shoe include eye-` lets 1 2 and, therefore, said strap 17 is provided Awith eyelets 20 spaced substantially the same as are those in said upper and desirably supplementing the eyelets immediatelv adjacent part of said upper. In lacing up the shoe, a lacing 21 is inserted in the usual criss cross manner through Athe eyelets 12 in the strips 11 and, when the extension or strap 17is reached, said'lacing is passed over the edge ofthe upper which lies adjacent to said strap (seeFig. 2) and through the eyelets 2Q of said strap, thence across to the opposite side ofthe shoe as usual.` The result of this methodof lacing is to provide a greater tension u on the stra-p 17 than upon that portion o kthe upper 'lying immediately adjacent t-O Said strapk causing the `upper and pad 14 to be pressed firmly against the under and inner areas of said arch and thereby providing a substantial and definite support for said arch. The tightening up of the strap 17 naturally tightens everything therebeneath as, for instance, the upper 1 and pad 14 so that every part of the circulnference of the instep portion of the foot in the plane of said strap will be firmly bound and sagging of the arch prevented. Although the flap or strap 17 has been shown unattached from the upper above the arched row of stitches 1Ga it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a different arrangement wherein the extension 17, substantially similar in form to the extension 17 of Fig. 1, is secured along all sides by stitches 16" to said upper and c vclcts Q0 are inserted through both the extensions 17a and the shoe upper 1". Obviously in lacing up this form the strap 17 a and upper 1 will be tightened simultaneously against the side of the foot, substantially no relative movement being permitted therebetween.

From the foregoing it will be evident that an efiicient, comfortable arch support will be provided in permanent built-in relation to the shoe. The shoe will be neat and pleasing in appearance and extremely comfortable to the wearer by the eliminating of any tendency of the arch to fall and of any rough edges or wrinkles upon the interior thereo While I have herein shown and described merely for illustrative purposes, certain specific embodiments of my invention and have disclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to such disclosures, it is distinctly to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of the parts nor to the specific applications herein shown but that extensive. variations from the illustrations consistent with the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

Claims:

` internal cuneiform and first metatarsal bones of the foot, and means to apply tension to said upwardly extending portion.

' 3. In a shoe, an upper, a reinforcing strip extending from heel to toe exteriorly of the lower marginal portion of said upper atleast at the inner side of the foot, a strap extending from the shank portion of said reinforcing strip upwardly substantially to the upper instep edge of said upper and lacing means for applying greater tension to said strap than to the immediately adjacent portion of Said upper.

4. In a shoe, a sole, an upper, an arch snp* porting member secured between said upper and the inner shank portion of said sole, a reinforcing member extending from Said inner shank portion of said sole over said arch supporting member and substantially to the instep edge of said upper, and means to apply tension to said reinforcing member for the purpose of maintaining said upper and said arch supporting member in constant supporting relation to the arch of the foot of the wearer.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 20 name to this specification.

JGHN R. AYERS. 

